SPECIAL NOTICE:
From May 06, AVO will no longer relay email information releases
from KVERT. Information regarding Kamchatkan volcano activity is sent
directly from KVERT staff in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
___________________________________________________________

Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 30-05
Friday, May 20, 2005, 10:40 KDT (21:40 UTC on May 19)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY, BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN

NORTHERN KURILE:
CHIKURACHKI, ALAID, EBEKO : GREEN

SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56°38'N, 161°19'E; Elevation 3,283 m,
the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE.

Growth of the Sheveluch lava dome continues. At any time and with little warning, explosions could produce ash plumes that rise as high as 6 km or 20,000 ft. ASL, as well as localized ash fall and hot avalanches. The nearest seismic station from the volcano was destroyed by the eruption of February 28, 2005.

Satellite data show a persistent thermal anomaly at the dome. No explosive events were recorded this week, however gas and steam plumes rising as high as 1,200 m above the dome (14,600 ft ASL) were observed.

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE.

Seismic activity and the height of occasional sudden ash explosions of the volcano have increased. The danger of ash explosions up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL exists. A local ash fall within a few tens of km around the volcano is also possible.

This week, ash-gas plumes up to the 3,500 m above the crater (or 16,400 ft ASL) and fresh ash deposits on the western and eastern sectors of the volcano were registered. A thermal anomaly at the volcano continues to be visible in satellite images.

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56°03'N, 160°39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.

Seismic activity of the volcano is at background level. However there is a thermal anomaly at the summit crater and the possibility of explosions that produce ash plumes that reach as high as 6 km (or 19,700 ft) above sea level remains.

This week, gas-steam plumes rose as high as 200 - 1,000 m above the crater (or 16,200 - 18,900 ft ASL). A weak thermal anomaly was visible all week.

BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55°58'N, 160°36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.

Based on the persistent thermal anomaly at the dome, we suggest that unrest at the volcano continues.

This week, gas-steam plumes rose as high as 400 m above the crater (or 10,500 ft ASL). A weak thermal anomaly was visible all week.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627

Sergey Senyukov, KVERT, KEMSD GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523

Tom Murray, Scientist-in-Charge, AVO
E-mail: tlmurray@usgs.gov
Tel. 907-786-7497

The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) is a non-commercial cooperative program of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO, USA), the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (IVS) FED RAS and the Kamchatkan Experimental and Methodical Seismological Department(KEMSD) GS RAS (Russia). KVERT staff is available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST or KDT) and by phone during the evenings. KVERT uses daily satellite imagery, information from remote scientific observation stations, real-time seismic data for 10 volcanoes, and other information to monitor activity at Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanoes.